Section 5

Rapid Prototyping

Our text defines rapid prototyping as, "the development of a working model of an instructional product that is used early in a project to assist in the analysis, design, development, and evaluation of an instructional innovation." In more simple terms, think of rapid prototyping as using the product as you are designing it. This helps to work out all the kinks. It makes sense that this is heavily used in business and industry because it would save time and money, two very important commodities.

In education, we would see rapid prototyping as a practice run. An example of this could be students taking a practice test while preparing for the actual test to give them and their teachers feedback on what skills need to be improved as they are studying. When I was learning to use my ipad for testing my students, I had to learn how to administer each section as I did it, because I could not practice on a student's official testing section. I had to learn how to navigate back and forth to the menu and how to mark sensible errors. I also learned the best order for administering each section. This made my testing more efficient and was easier on the students. I also used a kind of rapid prototyping when I introduced ipads to my students, as previously mentioned. I had to learn the best games and activities for my students as they used them. I looked at these things myself and tested them, but I did not know until they used them on their own. I made changes to how and when we used them based on their practice with them.

Tripp and Bichelmeyer's Rapid Prototyping Model

(source:http://edutechwiki.unige.ch/en/Rapid_prototyping )  

Instructional Design and the Military

When I look at the Full Spectrum Model one word comes to mind versatility. The information needs to be designed in a way that it can be conveyed through several different means. The three main military training environments are the classroom, on base and in deployment. When presenting this information in the classroom there could be more in depth discussion and focus because there is not so much of a time constraint. There should also be dependable access to computers and the Internet for further electronic research, practice questions, and video presentations. In the base environment, the training would be more hands-on, active and scenario based. Simulation programs would be more appropriate for this environment and it would be more like putting to use what you learned in the classroom. The technology used could also be portable for easy access and self study from anywhere on base. For deployment environments the information would be delivered in a more informal way, but even more vital than the other settings. The information they are learning could mean the difference between life and death. In this situation the deployment region really makes a difference as well. Not only can the electronic accessibility be an issue, but also the environmental conditions should be considered.

Step Up To Excellence (SUTE)

I would introduce Step-Up-To-Excellence by asking each table group that I create to brainstorm about "what makes a good leader?". Then each group would share and we would look at the leadership conditions necessary to begin SUTE (such as those listed on p.213 of the text). As a group we could brainstorm about an improvement that needs to be made in the district and decide which one we will use as our example. Then we will look at an empty outline of the Pre-Launch phase and fill it in to match our improvement goal. Next each group would be assigned a certain phase of SUTE and what would occur with our specific improvement. Then before we presented each group would have a chance to explore the other groups outlined findings and edit theirs if needed.

Guidance System for Transforming Education (GSTE)
As I learned about GSTE I found the tables in our text (p.212-213) very informative and useful. Os I would incorporate those into my presentation to explain GSTE and it's phases. I would first use Table 21.2 (Core values underlying the GSTE) and have the participants discuss examples of changes and how those core values tie in to their change example. Then we would pick one our discussed change examples and discuss how it would be implemented in each phase as we learned about. For example, after we looked at the steps of Phase I we would discuss number 1 by looking at how a facilitator would assess their own readiness and who would be on the facilitator's team to help accomplish this change. After planning these phases we would also look at  Figure 21.1 (Continuous Events in the GSTE) and discuss of an example of these events as it relates to our change.

After discussing both the SUTE and GSTE we would compare how the two are similar and different and discuss the pros and cons of each one.


Faculty Development
 On the TAMU-C website one of the most  informative areas for training was the Faculty Center for Teaching with Technology under the office of Instructional Design . In the forms sections there is an option called "Faculty Training Registration". Here you find a variety of training modes and options. There are One-on-One sessions for one faculty member to learn about a specific technology area at a time that is convenient for them. There are also On Demand videos arranged by topic to be viewed at the faculty member's convenience. Another option is Small Group Sessions which are "small group workshop-type sessions" that are used to teach various topics. Technology Primers introduce the learner to the basic features and functions of a technology application. Technology into Practice sessions are small workshops focused on integrating technology into online courses.Online Webinars are sessions on technology related topics, that may possibly be used from multiple access points. 15 Minute Online Lunch-ables are offered during a specific time every day, from 11-1 and are mini-interactive sessions. Online Self-Paced courses are open to the faculty for enrollment at any time. In the registration area there are nine specific courses offered in March and three scheduled for April.Some examples of upcoming sessions include: Fundamental Principles for Course Design, Beyond Powerpoint: Dynamic Instructional Content Using Prezi, and VoiceThread-Talking in the Cloud.

Other areas of instructional development can be found under the Faculty/Staff Resources. They are categorized as Training and Development. One of the courses is Positive Performance Management, it is designed to help managers find ways to improve their employees' performance and there is also Employee Development to help their employees develop skills.Strengths Finder and Strength Based Leadership focus on pinpointing employees' strengths and using them to benefit the organization. Service Excellence is recommended for all staff to give a refresher on the importance of quality service. Active Shooter, Bloodborne Pathogens and Hazardous Communications are all focused on preparedness education for unsafe situations that could occur. Most of the courses last for an hour, but some are workshops that require a full day of participation. Some current class titles being offered include: Concur Training: The New Online Travel System, Sexual Harassment, Making Your Website More Usable, and Lynx Icon Training. There is also a link to request a Custom Course.

Section 4: Human Performance Technology

1. At the beginning of the school year, in my pre-k classroom, center time can feel like a zoo. The major areas of concern (or performance problems) would be sharing and cleaning up. To help solve these problems in an instructional way we split up into small groups and learn about what is in each center, how to use it and how to clean up.We also read stories and role play sharing situations. A non-instructional  way to help with these problems is to let the students have the experience of putting these skills to use in real situations, so without having someone hovering over them telling them how to act, they have to learn what behavior works with their friends and what behavior does not. They also have to use their own trial and error when cleaning up and deciding things like, "does this toy bin go on this shelf".
Another example of a performance problem for my students would be difficulty writing their names. An instructional way for me to help with this would be to write their name holding the pencil with them and writing it for them and having them copy my sample. A non-instructional way would be for me to create name writing opportunities, such as signing your name on the waiting list for the center you want or signing your name on a card to a friend, or writing your name on the graph under which story character you liked the best.

2.

Our textbook defines Electronic Performance Support Systems as electronic systems that provided integrated access to:

 - information 

 - advice 

- learning experiences

- tools to help someone perform a task with minimal support from others.

Other definitions of EPSS:
-An Electronic Performance Support System (EPSS) is any computer software program or component that improves user performance.
(source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_performance_support_systems )

-An Electronic Performance Support System is, according to Barry Raybould, "a computer-based system that improves worker productivity by providing on-the-job access to integrated information, advice, and learning experiences" (Raybould, 1991).
(source: https://www.msu.edu/~sleightd/epss_copy.html?pagewanted=all )

I prefer the last definition because, first of all, it is more informative. Also it tells an EPSS's benefits ("improves worker productivity"), tells the setting it is used in ("on-the-job access") and tells what it provides ("integrated information, advice, and learning experiences").

I believe that EPSS have not been widely used because of fear of technology and of changing the old ways of training and information acess. I believe they will become more widely used because they cater to all types of learners with the use of textual, audio and visual components. They can give the user a hands-on type of experience,but without the use of an instructor. This avenue is becoming more prevalent with advances in technology and the elimination of positions due to the economy.

3. In my line of work I use blending learning to help make decisions about my students academic progress. An example of this would be creating small groups for my students. The tangible data that I use to help me make this decision is the results of my Beginning, Middle and End of the Year testing, called CPalls (phonological awareness,vocabulary)  and our Six Weeks Skills Reports(colors, shapes, letters, numbers). I also blend this with the personal knowledge I have about each student. I know their personalities and which students will cooperate and work the best with each other.

4. Informal learning is occuring all the time. As, a teacher I love informal learning. As a part of our different themes we take many different field trips to places such as farms, the planetarium, the grocery store. I love that students just think we are taking a fun trip and don't even know that they are learning. They are building vocabulary and knowledge while taking everything in and discussing it with their friends. In this type of setting I might use a more laidback instructor approach by just chatting with students about what they are experiencing and giving them opportunities to see as much as they can. I also use informal learning with fellow teachers. We will chat for a second in the hallway or the lounge and share ideas and lessons that we are using with our students. In this instance I am both an instructor and learner.It is both social (because we talk about our personal lives as well) and instructional.

In my personal life I have also been exposed to informal learning. I absolutely love http://www.pinterest.com/. My husband says I need an intervention.LOL This is a social type of learning because I am learning by talking and sharing with friends.I am an instructor and learner because I am sharing ideas on my pinboard, but also looking at my friends' to see what they have pinned. It is engaging to me because I can learn how to do or make about anything that I am interested in. This tool has helped me make my house cute : ) , cook delicious food, and create new projects for my students.

Section 3: So..what did we learn?

Evaluation Models
The ADDIE Model consists of 5 phases:
1.Analysis-Identify the problem or goal and set steps to achieve it or find a solution.What are your learner's needs?

2.Design- Detailed plans are made and written out or shown graphically.

3. Development- Using the plans from your design phase to create lesson materials.

4. Implementation- Your plan is put into action. The lesson is delivered to students.

5. Evaluation- This is an important phase. Revision is an intregal part of the ADDIE graphic, so one must constantly be evaluating at each phase to make the necessary revisions. In the ADDIE model feedback from the learner is also considered to evaluate instruction.

I use this type of model very regularly. I determine what my students need to be working on. I use those needs to create a lessonplan and I adjust it according to changing student needs, behaviors, pacing, and scheduling. I also use student participation, attitudes, and results to evaluate whether my lessons are effective.

Formative Evaluation (Flagg)  is about judging your instruction while it is happening. It focuses on the process. It is also about gathering continuous feedback from the learner.

I use formative evaluation when teaching throughout the day. By constantly tracking my student's visual cues such as body language, attention, attitude and sometimes verbal cues ("Can I go to the bathroom?" "When's lunch?") lol. This tells me whether I should continue with my lesson, if it is effective and if I should use simliliar activities in the future.



 A Technical Innovation in my Social System= Ipads in my preK classroom

The text states that "people are more likely to adopt an innovation if it:...

"offers a better way to do something"
(relative advantage)
Ipads offer an advantage for the students because they are fun, entertaining and they hold their attention. The advantage for me is that my students are interactively learning with me having to do so much prep work (cutting, copying, making homemade games). Another advantage is that there are several different apps, so students at all levels have something to work with.

"is compatible with their values, beliefs and needs"
(compatibility)
The ipads are compatible with my students' active learning style and addresses their needs. The apps are also compatible with the educational goals I have for my students.

"is not too complex"
(complexity)
The ipads were not hard for me to use because I have been using them for testing. Some of my students that have lower fine motor skills did have trouble with games that require them to move the objects around. Many of the students caught on quickly how to start a game, move to the next game and exit.

"can be tried out before adoption"
(trialability)
I used them with a few students before implementing them during centers and small group time.

"has observable benefits"
(observability)
Ipads are definitely a benefit to my classroom because they keep students engaged and help instruction be more individualized.




Project Management
I think if I was conducting the technology sessions with teachers on my campus it would be hard to decide my approach during Phase 1 because I would be starting with a mix of experienced and inexperienced technology users.Although, this is a daily challenge in the classroom as well! I would probably focus my first sessions on making the inexperienced users feel that it is possible for them to implement technology in the classroom and I would use the experienced learners as "table teachers". At the end of this session I would take a survey that targets what areas of technology use the teachers feel most comfortable with and interested in. The results would be compiled before the next session and determine what direction we would go in. Seeking their individual interests would help the teachers "buy in" to what I am teaching, as Chapter 12 suggests.I would then teach them basic usage of the technologies they were interested in and give them time to explore individually or with a "table teacher" to add more confidence and minimize some of my guidance. In Phase 3 I would let the teachers form groups based on which technology tool they found most useful. Then they would brainstorm and share how this tool can be used in the classroom. I would "reward for effort" by giving postive and constructive feedback about their conclusions. In Phase 4, I would have the teachers use work together (to take off some uneasiness that might still be there for some) to present their technology tool to the class and demonstrate an example of a lesson in which it would be helpful or ways to incorporate it for daily use. I would work as a monitor as the groups are working on this presentation, as the text mentions. I think one of the best ways to learn something is to approach it as if you have to teach it to someone else and I hope that this approach would help the teachers learn something useful.

Section 2: The Science of Learning

One of our Head Start literacy goals is: "Student identifies 10 or more letters of the alphabet." If I was using principles of the Behavioral Learning Theory, I would choose activity structures that promote instant,positive teacher-to-student feedback such as small groups or one-on-one activities. I would also use a lot of encouragement because "the consequences of a behavior determine whether it is repeated and thus considered to be learned." It would be important to make my learning activities on the right level for each student because if they do not feel successful they will not want to repeat the behavior or participate in the activity. When working with "ego-centric" four year olds I really gravitate toward the Schema Theory. They are always thinking "What does this have to do with my world?" To help them learn letters of the alphabet I would help them make chunks of schemata about each letter, such as "This letter is in my name", "It is a curvy letter.", "Cow starts with this letter.", "My friend's name starts with this letter.", "It says /C/." To help build schemata like this we would play games in which we make name letter puzzles, draw letters and discuss them or sort them by characteristics. We would also sing songs that emphasize letter sounds.


If I looked at this goal from the Whole-Task Approach, I would want to cover letter knowledge from every angle. I would not only want students to identify each letter, I would also do things like teach them to write it, form it with clay, identify it in the environment, give examples of words that have that letter in it. This is looking at the letter as a whole as opposed to just one aspect of learning the letter. We would use many different modalities to learn the letter, such as: making it with our bodies, painting it, singing about it, finding it in the environment,reading about it and  jumping on the correct letter. Scaffolding would also be necessary to reach this goal. When we are forming letters I let students use materials that are fun and they are comfortable with such as playdough, dry erase markers and blocks before moving to pencils. I would also give a lot of fun tricks and practice for writing letters, such as, "To make letter A, you drive your car up the mountain, down the mountain and across." To approach this from a Mathemagenic Method, I would show students why it is important to know letters by discussing environmental print, bringing in older children to read or having speakers come in that use reading in their work.I can also model the use of letter knowledge by modeling how to make lists and write letters.
 
My comparison of Gagne's 9 Events and First Principles:

Gagne’s (9 Events)	Comparison	First Principles (4 Stages)
Gain Attention	Use prior knowledge	Learners solve “real world” problems
Recall prior knowledge	Learner is the focus	Existing knowledge is foundation
Present  material	Supports “real world” learning and allows student to expand on thinking	Learner demonstrates new knowledge
Provide guided learning		Learning occurs when new learning is applied
Elicit performance		New knowledge is integrated into the learner’s world
Provide feedback
Assess performance
Enhance retention and transfer

MOTIVATING LEARNERS

Attention: This is my main focus with my students, if I do not have their attention in the beginning of an activity it is hard to gain it. I elicit my students' attention by using more of a game format than sit and drill. I try to make students feel like they played all day and not even realize that they are learning. It seems that students who have a hard time keeping their focus are students that like to be constantly moving. Many games that I use involve jumping to the correct answer or acting out your answer.We also recently played a throwing game to practice our letter knowledge.

Relevance: To keep the material relevant to students I would first activate their schemata about the topic by brainstorming what we know about it. I might also ask students to bring something from home that is related to the topic, so they can make a connection.

Satisfaction: To help students feel satisfied with what they have accomplished, I first point out the importance of doing your best.Then when they know they have done their best I boost them with encouragement and praise to show them how good it can feel to do a job well done.We also review what we are learning, with discussion. video or pictures, so that students can actually see what they are accomplishing.

Confidence: This ties heavily into satisfaction because students can feel confidence when they know they have done their best. When something is hard for a student I try to break the task down into smaller tasks and give encouragement when small goals are met. This helps to build the student's confidence.

Design research is important because you cannot effectively teach until you understand how your students learn and take in information. We must explore all of the different learning theories because no two students are alike and we must teach for the way they learn.